Lifting appliance for vehicles.



E. B. WlLLS & L. W. BECK. LIFTING APPLIANCE FOR VEHICLES.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, I914. 1.1%,2. Patented July 6, 1915.

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vLouis Reclf COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

E. B. WILLS & L. w. RECK. LIFTING APPUANCE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1914.

Patented July 6, 1915.

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E. B. WILLS & L. W. BECK.

LIFTING APPLIANCE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1914.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA co Patented July 6, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

EDGAR B. WILLS AND LOUIS W. BECK, OF MENDO'IA, ILLINOIS.

LIFTING- APPLIANCE FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed. March 14, 1914. Serial N 0. 824,667.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDGAR B. lVILLS and LOUIS W. BECK, both citizens ofthe United States, residing at Mendota, in the county of La Salle andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inLifting Appliances for Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates more particularly to an appliance designedfor use with an automobile or other vehicle for the purpose of liftingthe same from the ground.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a device of thecharacter specified which will be automatic in action to the ex tentthat the parts thereof will be operated by engagement of the to-belifted vehicle therewith; to provide a forward lifting means and a rearlifting means with a connection therebetween and to provide means foradjusting the length of this connection; to provide means for adjustingthe length of the lifting means to vary its distance from the floor; toprovide means for initially moving one of the lifting'means to apartially raised position and subsequently moving both lifting means inunison to their fully raised position; and to arrange the lifting meansin oppositely disposed sets, each set comprising a front lifting meansand a rear lifting means, and to provide means for adjusting these setsto and from one another to vary the distance between the same.

Further objects of the invention are to provide means for limiting themovements of the lifting means in their up and down movements; toprovide cushioning or bufier means for engaging the vehicle and arresting the forward movement thereof; and to provide means for manuallypulling the vehicle into operative position with respect to the liftingmeans.

The invention further consists in the features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure -l is a side elevation showing the lifting meansintheir lowered position in full lines, and showing by means of dottedlines the'po'sition as-- sumed by the parts during the initial rais ingmovement of the front lifting means; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1showing the lifting means fully raised; Fig. 3 is a plan view of thelifting means of the pres-- ent invention; (Fig. 4; is a cross sectionthrough one of the lifting means showing the catch member for lockingthe lifting means in its vertical position of adjustment; F ig. 5 is asection on line 55 of Fig. 6 1001:- ing in the direction of the arrows;Fig. 6 is a vertical section through a portion of one of the liftingmeans; Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of the buffer mechanism; Fig. 8 is adetail partly in section showing the method of mounting the liftingmeans; and Fig. 9 is a cross section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

As stated, the appliance of the present invention is more particularlyadapted for use in connection with automobiles and other vehicles. It isa well known fact that the manner now practised of jacking upautomobiles is a tedious and laborious one, and it is also a well knownfact that tires are materially damaged as a result of the machinestanding upon the floor of the garage. The present invention deals witha device whereby this jacking operation may be'quickly and easilyperformed without the necessity of any tedious and laborious manualoperation in effecting the same.

Referring now to the drawings, the device, as shown in Fig. 3, consistsof two sets, each similar in construction and arrangement, and each setcomprises a forward jack or lifting member 10 and a rear jack or liftingmember 11. The terms front and rear are used mainly for the purpose ofexpediting the description. Both sets of lifting members are shownmounted upon a flooring or base 12, although the method of mounting thesame may be varied as desired. That is, they may be attached to anindependent flooring, as

shown, or attached directly to the flooring of the garage, or otherbuilding.

The forward lifting member consists of a body portion 11 terminating ina head 12 which, as will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, is formed with anacting face of curvilinear nature which terminates at one end in ashoulder 13. Said lifting member is provided with a sleeve-like member14; depending from the head, which sleeve-like member telescopes upon anarm 15 which is pivoted as at 16 to amounting or bearing plate 17. Thearm 15 'is provided with a series of niches 18 along one edge thereof,which niches are adapted to be engaged by a finger or fingers 19 on apivoted member 20, the latter being attached to the sleeve 14:. A latch21 is also provided which is carried by the said sleeve, and this latchserves to engage and hold the member 20 in the manner shown in Figs. 1and 2, whereby the height of the acting face of the jack can be variedas is necessary. Its operation is obvious when the latch 21 iswithdrawn, thus releasing the member 20, after which the body 11 ispulled upward until the desired height is reached.

A rod 22 is pivotally attached to the sleeve 14 and this rod is securedto a rod 23 by means of suitable clamping members 2%. The rod 23 ispivotally attached to a lever 25 which, in turn, is pivotally attachedto a sleeve 27 forming a part of the rear lifting member 11, and thissleeve terminates in a head '28 which, as will be seen from the drawingshas an acting face which is slightly curvilinear in nature, andterminates in a shoulder 29. A link 30 is secured to the head 28 and isspaced away therefrom,

, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide a slot in which I the lever 25 travels.

The sleeve 26 fits over an arm 31 similar to the arm 15, and adjustmentof the height of the rear jack is effected in a manner similar to thatdescribed in connection with the forward jack.

A buffer 32 is provided which is mounted upon a frame 33, and thisbuifer, which is shown more in detail in Fig. 7, consists of a barrel 34in which slides a cup-shaped member 35 provided with an opening 36 inits closed end 37, and through this opening passes a stem 38 terminatingin one end in a head 39, and at its'other end in a nut 4:0, andinterposed between the rear wall 41 of the barrel 34 and the wall 37 ofthe cupshaped member 85 is a spring 42. It is apparent that, as the head39 is engaged and pushed inward, it will force the head 35 inwardagainst the tension of the spring 42. and thus act as a buffer.

Each of the lifting means is Provided at its lower end with trunnions4:3, as shown in Figs. 3 and 8, which trunnions enter into suitablejournals 44: in the bearing plates 17. A collar 45 is attached to saidtrunnions and is held in place by a set-screw 4:6. It will be observedthat the trunnions are reduced at their ends, the reduced portionsentering the journals and the collar lying beyond the reduced portions.By referring to Fig. 8, it will be seen that the collar, whenpositioned, lies adjacent to the bosses 44 of the bearing plates. Thecollar and the bosses are each partially cut away, as shown in Figs. 8and 9, so as to bring about what may be termed an interlockingengagement therebetween. The purpose of this interlock is to limit theswing of the trunnions back and forth so as to limit the up and downmove ments of the lifting means or jacks.

The lifting means, as previously stated, may be arranged in pairs as inFig. 3, and

the plates 17 may be slotted as at 4:7, and locking means 48 arearranged in said slots. The support for the buffer 32 is also slotted at47 to permit back and forth adjustment, and locking means 47" arelikewise provided. It is obvious that the sections may be madeadjustable to and from one another to vary the distance between the twosections. If it is desired to manually pull the vehicle into position tobe raised, a lever to may be utilized in conjunction with the chainattached at one end to the lever, and at the other end to theto-be-raised vehicle.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in position shownin full lines in Fig. 1, and the vehicle to be approaching in thedirection of the arrow, the front axle 50 of the vehicle will pass overthe front lifting means, owing to the fact that the said lifting meansis normally lying in a plane lower than the plane of the front axle, andwhen the vehicle has traveled a suilicient distance said front axle willengage the lever 25 pushing the same back to the dotted position, shownin Fig. 1. This will liftthe front lifting means to the dotted positionshown in this figure and into contact with the rear axle 51, the rearand front lifting means being then in engagement with the front and rearaxles respectively, but no lifting operation will have as yet takenplace. Now as the vehicle continues its movement, the front axle willengage with the shoulder 29, and thus act to elevate the rear liftingmeans 27. This will obviously move the lever 25 in unison with the rearlifting means, and through the medium of the connection between thelever and the front lifting means will move the latter lifting means andmove both jacks in unison into the position shown in Fig. 2, iii-whichposition the vehicle will be lifted from the floor. \Vhen the vehiclewill have progressed far enough to place the lifting means in theposition shown in Fig. 2, it will have engaged with the buifer mechanismso that further advance movement of the vehicle is resisted by suchmechanism, thus bringing the vehicle to an easy stop and relieve thelifting mechanism of undue shock.

The operation above described can be carried out, if desired, by thedriving of the automobile onto the lifting means to operate the same inthe manner specified, but it may happen that the driver will not possessthe required skill to control the car in the manner necessary to sodrive it, and if such be the case the car can be arrested at or near thepoint indicated by the dotted line position of the axles, as shown inFig. 1, and can be pulled the remainder of the way by the lever 47 inconjunction with a chain or cable, and thus manually pulled forward andinto operative engagement with the lifting means. If desired, a springmay be interposed at the point of connection between the rod 23 and thelever 25 for the purpose of expediting the return of the parts to normalposition, and for relieving the connection between the jacks from undueshock or strain.

We claim:

1. In a lifting appliance of the class de* scribed, the combination offront lifting means and rear lifting means, a member arranged to beengaged by the front axle of the to-be-lifted vehicle, said member beinglocated adjacent the rear lifting means and movable independent of saidrear lifting means for the initial portion of its movement, and movablein unison with said rear lifting means for the subsequent portion of itsmovement, a connection between said member and the front lifting meanswhereby upon the initial movement of said memher the front lifting meansis raised and upon the subsequent movement of said member the front andrear lifting means are raised in unison, substantially as described.

2. In a lifting appliance of the class described, the combination of afront lifting means and a rear lifting means, a shiftable member on therear lifting means, a connection between said shiftable member and frontlifting means, said shiftable member being arranged to be engaged andoperated by the to-be-lifted vehicle, andsaid member acting on itsinitial movement to partially raise the front lifting means, and on itssubsequent movement to fully raise said front and rear lifting means inunison, substantially as described.

3. In a lifting appliance of the class described, the combination offront lifting means and rear lifting means, shiftable means adapted tobe engaged by the front axle of the to-be-lifted vehicle, said meansbeing arranged adjacent to said rear lifting means, a connection betweensaid shiftable means and the front lifting means, said shiftable meansmoving independent of the rear lifting means for the initial portion ofits movement and moving in unison with the rear lifting means: for thesubsequent portion of its movement, whereby the front lifting means israised by the initial movement of the shiftable means, and both frontand rear lifting means raised by the subsequent movement of saidshiftable means, substantially as described.

4. In a lifting appliance of the class described, the combination of afront lifting means and a rear lifting means, a pivoted lever on therear lifting means, a connection between said lever and the frontlifting means, said lever being arranged to be engaged and actuated bythe to-be-lifted vetilt hicle and to act on its initial movement topartially raise the front lifting means, and on its subsequent movementto fully raise said front and rear lifting means in unison,substantially as described.

5. In a lifting appliance of the class described, the combination offront lifting means and rear lifting means, a shiftable member carriedby the rear lifting means, a connection between said shiftable memberand front lifting means, said shiftable member being arranged to beengaged and actuated by the to-be-lifted vehicle and acting on itsinitial movement to partially raise the front lifting means, and on itssubsequent movement to fully raise the front and rear lifting means inunison, and buffer mechanism arranged adjacent said lifting means toarrest the forward movement of the vehicle, substantially as described.

6. In a lifting appliance of the class described, the combination offront lifting means and rear lifting means, means operatively connectedfor moving one of said lifting means by engagement of the to-be-liftedvehicle with the other of said lifting means, each lifting meansembodying trunnions, bearings for the trunnions, and a collar on thetrunnions, and said bearings and collars being configured to limit theup and down movements of the lifting means, substantially as described.

7. In a lifting appliance of the class described, the combination of afront lifting means and rear lifting means, a lever pivotally mounted onthe rear lifting means, a connection between said lever and frontlifting means, said lever being shifted by engagement with theto-be-lifted vehicle and on its initial movement raising the frontlifting means only, and means whereby on a subsequent movement of thelever both lifting means are moved in unison, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a lifting appliance of the class described, the combination of afront lifting means and rear lifting means, a lever pivotally mounted onthe rear lifting means, a connection between said lever and frontlifting means, said lever being shifted by engagement with theto-be-lifted vehicle and on its initial movement raising the frontlifting means only, a lug on the rear lifting means engaged by theto-be-lifted vehicle on a subsequent movement thereof whereby both thefront and rear lifting means are moved in unison, substantially asdescribed.

EDGAR B. WILLS. LOUIS W. BECK.

Witnesses:

B. HARRY BECK, E. S. MODONOUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of iatents, Washington, D. G.

